The Association Between Exposure to COVID-19 and Mental Health Outcomes Among Healthcare Workers

Abstract

Due to the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care systems, there has been great interest in the mental wellbeing of healthcare workers. While most studies investigated mental health outcomes among frontline vs. non-frontline healthcare workers, little is known about the impact of various work-related variables. The present study aimed to examine the association between work-related [i.e., having contact with COVID-19 patients, being redeployed due to the pandemic and availability of sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE)] and subjective (i.e., worries about getting infected or infecting others) exposures and self-reported mental health outcomes (i.e., psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress symptoms). Between February and May 2021, 994 healthcare workers employed at a variety of healthcare settings in the Netherlands filled out an online survey as part of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study. Mental health outcomes were measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5. Approximately 13% reported depressive symptoms, 37% experienced psychological distress, and 20% reported posttraumatic stress symptoms. Multilevel linear models consisted of three levels: individual (work-related and subjective exposures), healthcare center (aggregated redeployment and availability of sufficient PPE), and regional (cumulative COVID-19 infection and death rates). Worries about infection were associated with all three mental health outcomes, whereas insufficient PPE was associated with psychological distress and depressive symptoms. There were no differences in outcomes between healthcare centers or provinces with different COVID-19 infection and death rates. Our findings highlight the importance of adequate PPE provision and the subjective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors should be part of interventions aimed at mitigating adverse mental health outcomes among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health and Sleep Quality of Healthcare Providers After Partial Relief of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“… 34 In support of our findings, Czepiel et al reported that psychological distress, depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with fears from infection among HCW. 35 Furthermore, a previous case-report of COVID-19-related concerns in HCWs has documented depressive and anxious symptoms in an HCW after spreading the infection to a family member. 36 …”

The COVID-19 pandemic and mental health outcomes – A cross-sectional study among health care workers in Coastal South India

“…The prevalence of unfavourable mental health outcomes in our study is high compared to a similar study from another part of India where depression was reported among 47.4% of the HCWs, while anxiety and insomnia were seen among 29.0% and 32.2% of the participants respectively. 25 Similar studies conducted among the HCWs during the pandemic from different parts of the world have reported a prevalence of depression ranging from 8.9% to 77.2%, [7][8][9][10][11][12][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] anxiety 14.5% to 88%, [7][8][9][10][11][12][26][27][28][29][31][32][33][34][38][39][40][41] and insomnia 8.3% to 85.4%. 16,27,28,[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]…”

“…All the items are rated using a five-point Likert scale (0 = no problem; 4 = very severe problem), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 28. The scores were interpreted as follows: Normal (0-7), subthreshold insomnia (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), moderate insomnia (15-21) and severe insomnia (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28).…”

“…• Insomnia Severity Index -7: Normal (0-7), Subthreshold (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), Moderate (15-21), and Severe (22-28) insomnia.…”

“…6 Recent literature from around the world have reported that frontline HCWs are at more risk of developing anxiety and depressive symptoms. [7][8][9]11,12,19 A systematic review and meta-analysis of 239 studies involving 2,71,319 subjects reported prevalence rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms of 42% and 33%, thereby providing evidence that HCWs are at increased risk of unfavourable mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. 13 In India, HCWs involved in COVID-19 care were marginalized and stigmatized.…”